Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication or Machine Type Communication (MTC) are terms that may be used to refer to data communication technologies that allow automated devices to communicate with one another without human intervention. For example, M2M and/or MTC may refer to communications from devices that integrate sensors or meters to measure or capture information, and relay that information to a central server or application. A device used in this context may be referred to as an M2M device, MTC device, and/or an MTC user equipment (UE).
M2M devices may be used in a number of different applications to, for example, collect information or enable automated behavior of machines. Examples of applications for M2M devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather and geological event monitoring, fleet management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based business charging. The market for M2M devices is expected to grow rapidly as industries such as automotive, security, healthcare, and fleet management employ M2M to increase productivity, manage costs, and/or expand customer services. For example, it is estimated that the M2M connectivity market may grow to over 200 million devices employed in the field by 2014.
M2M devices may use a variety of wired and/or wireless communication technologies. For example, M2M devices may communicate with a network over various wireless cellular technologies and/or various wireless networking technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), etc.). M2M devices may also communicate with one another using various peer-to-peer technologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and/or other ad-hoc or mesh network technologies. The expansion of multiple access wireless networks around the world has made it far easier for M2M communication to take place and has lessened the amount of power and time necessary for information to be communicated between machines. These networks also allow an array of new possibilities and business opportunities related to measuring and tracking environmental characteristics, operational parameters, and/or use factors.
Some applications for M2M devices may depend on battery power for collecting, transmitting, and/or receiving data. For these devices, reducing power consumption of the device prolongs the time that the device can operate in the field without battery replacement. Widespread adoption of M2M devices may also pose challenges for wireless cellular networks that are significantly different from traditional wireless communications involving human to human (H2H) communications. These challenges may arise because the volume of M2M devices registering and accessing on the network may be much larger than the number of H2H devices supported by the network. For example, the network may allocate IP addresses, bearer IDs, and the like to mobile devices registered on the network. Several aspects related to M2M devices may also be important in efficiently using network resources. In one aspect, M2M devices may transmit only small amounts of data and may transmit infrequently. In another aspect, certain M2M devices may be locationally static, either permanently or for periods of time. Therefore, using the same registration and access procedures for M2M devices as H2H devices may burden the network more than necessary.